Silver Eyes and Steel Blades
by Corentin
Summary: A collection of NejiTen Shorts. All sorts of topics, so you might get one or two you don't like. Updated probably every week. Rated T because I'm paranoid king.
1. Protector

**Protector**

She'd always seen men as something to be protected from. Her father has been alchohalic, and after her mother died, tried to turn to Tenten for his various needs, hitting her when she wouldn't comply. That's why she had become a ninja, to protect herself. After a few encounters, her father had learned his lesson, through pain. He was long dead, and nobody else tried anything intimidated by the headband. But she'd still retained her fear of men.

She often awoke in the middle of the night, choaking on a silent scream, in a cold sweat, the last images of her father's leering face burned into her eyes. For so long, she had cried herself to sleep again, crying for all the abuse she'd taken, for the normal home and life she'd never known.

No more.

Somehow, he always knew she awoke, and comforted her. She would cry into his chest, as he played gently with her hair, and wispered comforting words to her, finally singing her to sleep with a smile on her face. And then, Neji would gently kiss her, and her protector would sleep silently, next to his treasure.


	2. Anger

**Anger**

When Neji was angry, he was surrounded by an aura of fury, and while his features did not change, nor did he raise his voice, a blade-like sharpness entered into his eyes and voice, sending almost anyone crawling into the nearest hole.

When Tenten got angry, she got physical. Throwing things, yelling, crying, spitting, and kicking were just a few of her ways of expressing anger.

Neither of them got angry often; they had developed self-control over the years. When they were angry, however, their freinds ran from them.

Both of them destroyed practice dummies when they were angry, reducing them to shreds.

They had never been angry at the same time, fortuntly for the rest of the world.

When Neji was angry, Tenten soothed him.

When Tenten was angry, Neji was logical.

Logical Neji had thus far ended up in the hospitlal 7 times.

Poor Neji.

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**I need to start writing these a little longer. Oh well. That's all you get for now.**


	3. Realistic

**Realistic**

Tenten and Nei have a problem. When they watch movies together, at least one of them starts getting cynical, yelling about how it wouldn't work in real life. Like so.

_Advent Children Complete-_**Tenten:**"SOO not happening. I mean, the guy just got impaled with a sword, then lifted by it. He's got no arm movement!"

_Twighlight-_**Neji:**"Um, okay. One doesn't really run into a vampire in real life and even if one did, vampires A)Die in sunlight, B) Are evil, and C) always drink human blood."

_Goundhog Day-_**Tenten:**"Beginning with the fact that man does not live one day more than once, it makes no sense to commit suicide. You don't know when it will end!"

_Star Wars-_**Neji:**"Need I begin?"

But they agree on one thing.

**Tenten:**"I love you, Neji."

**Neji: **"I love you too, Tenten."

Oh, actually, two things.

_Mulan-_**Both:**"Let's get down to buisness, to defeat the Huns! Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons!"


	4. Fireworks

**Sorry for a long time without an update. This one is special for the 4th of July**, **the next one is just a normal one. Thanks!**

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**Fireworks**

Fireworks had always enchanted her as a child, flashing up into the sky so brightly, and then sparkling with glorious fire as they fell. Fireworks had entranced her, but they'd also been a time of loneliness. With no parents to watch fireworks with her, she had always been cold in the evening air, shivering with nobody to warm her. They'd always seemed somehow lacking, with no mother to wrap around, no father to talk to, and no boyfriend or husband to hug and kiss under the sparkling light's. While she always went to the fireworks with a feeling of anticipation, and watched them happily for the first few seconds, she always ended up walking home dejected.

But now, they were a happy time.

They'd met under the fireworks. She'd twisted her ankle walking home, and he'd been the kind stranger who'd offered her a had in getting home. They'd talked, exchanged numbers, and become friends quickly.

He'd kissed her under the fireworks. Then she'd spent three days waiting for him to ask her out. Finally, he did.

He'd asked her to marry him under the fireworks. She'd cried, and then said yes, and they'd embraced under those shining trails of fire. And when they'd ended their embrace, they sat under the coldly shining fireworks, until they ended, and then walked home under the moonlight.


	5. Bring Him Home

**Bring Him Home**

Sitting on the couch was where she felt it most. Sitting there, without him pressing gently against her. Neji was gone on an S-ranked mission, and she was getting nervous. He was supposed to have been back two days ago, and there was still no news. Nothing. Silence is often worse than sadness. When she wasn't caring for their two children or working in the house, in those times, after dark, sitting in the silent space usually filled with his quiet voice, she felt his absence so much. Thoughts that she repressed through the rest of the day came bubbling up. If he never came back, what would she do? Could she ever fall in love again? Would she want to? Why was he gone so long? Tenten got up from the couch and walked around with nervous energy, wriggeling inside and out. Why was he gone so long? A lone tear traveled down her cheek, as she considered the various things that could be keeping him. But no, none of those would keep him. Remembering his last words to her before he left, she smiled.

_"Nothing will keep me from you. Nothing. I love you, Tenten, And nothing will stop me getting back. Know that."_

Tenten smiled, and then rested her head on the table, whispering to herself.

"Please. Bring him home."


	6. Quake

** NOTE: This was inspired by the lines in Carbon Leaf's song Life Less Ordinary, "The night you came into my life, well you took the bones of me, took the bones of me. You blew away my storm and strife and shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me." This is not, however, a songfic.**

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**Quake**

"Neji?"

"Mm?" The two of them were sitting on the poach swing at Tenten's house, with the beautiful cheery blossoms blowing around them, the wind whipping Neji's hair into a whirl of black. Tenten's head rested in his lap, and her hair was out of its usual pair of buns, and in Neji's hands, twirling around his fingers, woven in and out of his hands. Tenten spoke again.

"When you first saw me, what happened to you?" Neji pursed his lips.

"Well, it was kind of like somebody had given me a shock. First there was a brief shock, then a slow tingling." Tenten looked up at him, and smiled.

"That's so sweet, Neji." Neji's cheeks colored the slightest bit.

"Well, what happened to you when you first saw me?" Tenten's brow furrowed.

"Well, it was like a shock, like you said, but I'd say it was a little more like an earthquake. All of a sudden, everything was shaken up, and things fell into place." Neji grinned down at her, and kissed her on the forehead.

"That's also sweet, but I feel I should mention that earthquakes disorganize things, not the other way round."

"Shut up and kiss me already."

"Okay."

And he did.


	7. Overlooked

**Overlooked**

He had always overlooked her, with his vision, his perfect defense, his 360 degree x-ray vision. He looked right through her, ignoring her efforts, as well as her feelings. Did he even care about her?

She always overlooked him, with her perfect aim, her sharp, unclouded, chocolate eyes. She looked right past him, eyes obviously aimed on a target whose flame burned brighter.

He had plenty of girls to choose from, that was for sure. I mean, he was **the** Hyugga Neji. Rich, talented, on the road to power, very, very cool, a fan-girl's dream.

She had plenty of guys on hand, that was for sure. While most guys went for the "cute" girls, others liked them, in Shikamaru's words, "a little more substantial." And besides, among ninja, a strong kunoichi was quite rare and desirable. Thus, many guys had crushes on her, even if she didn't realize it.

It wasn't that he didn't spend time with her, they spent a lot of time together. It wasn't that he ignored her, they were great friends, spoke a lot together, laughed together. But they were just friends. He'd never see her as anything else

It wasn't that she hated him, they'd grown much closer after he discarded his ice cube act. But she just didn't see him as an option for love, when he was so ready.

They overlook each other, each thinking that the other isn't interested in them. But if two people turn their eyes away, who can see what's there?


	8. Uninterested

**Uninterested**

He never got interested in anything, did he?

When Lee wanted to spar him, the answer was: "Not interested."

When the juciest gossip about Naruto and Sakura's relationship was going right in front of his eyes, he wasn't interested.

He wasn't interested in training, wasn't interested in doing anything with anybody, wasn't even interested in what most boys his age were obsessed with:girls.

As they sat together after a particularly long sparring match, Tenten was thinking all these things and more. One of her excess thoughts decided to slip over her tongue.

"Are you interested in love, Neji?" He turned to her, one eyebrow raised.

"Excuse me?" Tenten blushed, and quickly hurtled on.

"I mean, you're never interested in doing anything, are you interested in falling in love?" Neji sat there for a moment, thinking, then sighed and laid back.

"Not interested." Tenten began to grow angry. She'd had a crush on Neji since they were in the academy, and he'd just said, basically, that he wasn't interested in her. Tenten decided to teach Neji a lesson. So she jumped him. She rolled over and straddled him, her hands splayed over his chest, and captured his lips with hers, letting her tongue slip into his half-open mouth. Soon, their tongues were tangling as he returned the kiss, his hands encircling her back. She broke the kiss, and then looked down at him, breathless.

"I'm in love with you, Neji. Interested now?" He looked up at her and smirked.

"Defiantly."


	9. Never Take Us Alive

**Never Take Us Alive**

So yeah, he looked gay, and she looked like a panda. So yeah, he had no iris and yet wasn't blind.(Tenten suspected he wore colored contacts) So yeah, she was a tomboy who played with knives (and many other sharp implements). Who the heck cared? Well, the Hyuga clan elders, for one.

They'd tried, they really had. Tenten had even put on a _kimono_ and gone to a formal dinner where she swallowed over three hundred lightly veiled insults (and six drunken ones) to her family. They'd made promises and bent over backwards to satisfy Hyuga law. The elders just hadn't wanted to comply. "No, no, no, no!" they said. Neji must marry a clan member.

But even through it all they knew for sure that they were going to get married. And well, if the Hyuga elders didn't like that, well, screw them.

They'd run off together, that's what they'd do. With Neji's Juken and Tenten's weapons, they'd been unstoppable. And try as they might, the Hyuga clan would never take _these_ star-crossed lovers alive. Never.


	10. Never Forget Us

**Never Forget Us**

As he lay there, bleeding on the grass, Tenten was struck by the absurdity of it all. Neji, the Hyuga genius, the man with the perfect defense, was dying. And she, the wonder of Weakness, the kunoichi who was never good enough, and always a drag on her teammates, didn't have a scratch on her. Maybe it was because he'd jumped in front of the jutsu, saving her and killing their enemy in a single movement. That could have something to do with it.

Tenten was drawn out of her revere by the sight of Neji coughing up blood. She ran to him, falling to her knees as tears feel down her face. "_Dammit, why didn't I learn medical ninjutsu like Ino or Sakura?_", she thought, reaching for her medical kit. Neji's hand weakly stayed her.

"Don't, Tenten. We know how this is going to end. I will experience the final fate of all humans, to be decomposed by bacteria and used as nutrients for plants, which will, in turn, nourish the next generation of animals which will, in turn, nourish humanity, bringing my atoms back to humanity again, as they were one full cycle ago. It is fate, inescapable."

"But", he continued, "it is not your fate to die here, Tenten. You must get away. Take care of yourself, and take care of', he hand softly caressed her belly, "our child. Make sure she grows up strong like your mother, and don't let Lee or Master Guy cry at my funeral. Rear our child well, and do not forget me. Do not forget us, and the few nights we spent together. And then, when it is time, come join me, dying with a smile on your face. You've got to promise me that, Tenten, you must promise me that. Do you promise?" Tenten nodded weakly, and then, as more ninja appeared, turned and ran, looking back briefly.

"I promise! I will not forget you!" And her tears ingled with her husbands blood which covered her face and hands, flowing down, staining her clothes with red.


	11. Rumor

**Rumor**

"Is it true?"

"Hnn."

"Don't give me that! Is it true?"

"Tenten, how can I possibly answer that until I know what you are referring to?"

"You know damn well what I'm referring to!"

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Very well then, I'll spell it out for you. Did you or did you not kiss Sabaku no Temari?"

"Who says I did?"

"Sakura. And Ino. And Shiho. And Kiba. But mostly Ino."

"Hrmm. Well, I have no interest in loud, scary women. Therefore, I did not kiss Temari."

"Oh. I see. Well then..." Tenten turned to walk away, and Neji muttered under his breath.

"Although kami only knows why I'm dating a loud, scary woman..."

"What?" Tenten swung around.

"...You have remarkable good hearing."

"I'm a ninja."

"There is that."

"Did you just call me a loud, scary woman?"

"Well, in a good way, Tenten, you can put down the- No! Tenten, no, stop! Stop, I say! Don't point that thing at-unhh..." Tenten stood over Neji, scroll(the large one she carried, which she'd just hit him with) in hand.

"I'll speak with you once you wake up." She sat down to wait.

"Providing I didn't break his neck..."

_Rumors can be painful. Both emotionally, and in Neji's case, physically._


	12. Forbidden Love

**Forbidden Love**

They lay side beside in the bed, flushed and happy. Neji kissed Tenten on her nose, making her giggle, and then on her lips, making her sigh as they released the kiss. They weren't supposed to be doing this. Neji was promised to another Hyuuga, a safe clan marriage which would not dilute his pure Hyuuga blood. He and Tenten weren't even supposed to know each other outside of a professional sense. The Hyuuga elders though Neji was on a dangerous mission in the north which, in some ways, he was, considering what Tenten's father would do to Neji if he found out. Tenten was supposedly spending the night with Temari, who had agreed to keep their secret, partially because she and Shikamaru were carrying on a similar relationship. It was against everything they had ever been taught: respect for elders, propriety, an unspooken ban on teammates being lovers. But they didn't care. It is the forbidden fruit which is sweetest, and perhaps that increased their passion, with the thrill of danger, but they had a much deeper reason for being together. Neji and Tenten were in love. They hadn't decided yet if they would try to get the permission of their clans, but they had already made up their minds: they were going to get married. After all, what chance did a bunch of doddering elders have against the "True Hyuuga Heir" and his lover, the Weapons Master of Konoha?


	13. Red Thread

**The Red Thread**

"Tenten?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever heard the legend of The Red Thread?"

"No, what is it?"

"The legend says that when we are born, the gods spin a web around us, spinning us into the world. The web of life is created by the threads off fate the gods draw between us and others. There are many colors and types, for different times, different relationship, andof each kind, there can be any number, between 2 and 2 million. However, there is one kind of which there is only one. This thread is silken and red, so delicate it looks like a cobweb, but so strong that not even the strongest force on earth could break it. This thread is the one that connects two lovers who are destined to be together. The red thread will never break, never tangle, never lead you astray. If you listen to your heart, you will see the one who is connected to you by the red thread, and that thread will keep you together forvever."

"... Wow. That's a beautiful idea."

"Wait, I'm not done yet. Legend has it that the Byakugan can see the threads of life, but only when used by the most skilled. But every Hyuuga, when they see the person that they are connected to by the Red Thread, is said to see a red aura about them."

"And did you?"

"Yes. When I first saw you, I though I'd messed up my eyes doing something, because your red aura lit up the entire room."

"aww...Neji, that's so sweet!"

"It's the truth, Tenten. We're meant to be together, and I swear to you, I'll never let us be pulled apart."


	14. You're Perfect

**You're Perfect**

She turned away, her lips still tasting his lips, blushing furiously. Tears began to come out of her eyes, and Neji wiped the away gently, more gently than she had ever believed he could do anything. Confusion filled her brain. Why had he chosen her, or was he just playing with her? She was the ugliest girl in the school, not popular or smart. Why?

"N-neji? Why?"

"Why you?" Wordlessly, she nodded. "Tenten, Tenten...You're beautiful. Sakura and Ino only have plasticized, artificial beauty, which doesn't count. The only girl who even comes close is that exchange student, Temari. Oh, the ugly ones tell you you're 'fat', but only because they're jealous. You're mature and beautiful in a way that they'll never be. But that's not the only reason. You're a smart girl, Tenten. Both in book learning and in just plain old common sense. You've got a head on your shoulders and you don't let people push you around. But more than that, you're kind, nice to everybody. Tenten, you're perfect in every way, shape and form. I love you because you're perfect for me." Tenten blushed, smiled up at him, and pulled him in, kissing him long and deep.


	15. Fate Fall

**Fate Fall**

Neji had once believed in fate as a unchangeable thing, unstoppable by the hand of man. Naruto had opened his eyes and helped him to se the truth, helped him to become all he could be, rejecting the boundaries of fate and birth, pushing all limits. However, something had since happened to him which had renewed his belief in fate. The fate he now believed in was not a dark and forbidding thing, it was a kind, benevolent force which helped him achieve the ultimate happiness.

He had found her. Tenten. Smart, pretty, skilled, beautiful, deadly, sexy, interesting, cute, and in all ways perfect. Not only had he found her, he had been assigned to a team with her, and if that wasn't enough, she had seemed to reciprocate his feelings. Even more than that, she had said yes when he asked her out.

Did Neji believe in fate? Yes. Did he believe it was unchangeable? No. Did he thank the fates every day, when he woke up with his wife lying next to him, skin pale in the morning light? Yes, yes, and again yes.


	16. The Reason Why

**The Reason Why**

She'd always liked dancers, for several reasons. First of all, they were all the things most girls wanted: fit, nice, and parties. While she liked that side, what got her more, was the way they moved. Not just when they were dancing, but also when they were just doing normal things. Especially when they were walking. Some girls judge men by the way they eat asparagus, Tenten judged guys by the way they walk. When a guy walks, you can tell so much about him: whether he's in a hurry, if he's an athlete, how he's feeling, if he's comfortable, and so many other things. Well, lets just say that when Neji walked by, Tenten almost fainted.

When she told him this, he'd laughed, and said she had a better reason than he did for being attracted to her. He had liked the way she blushed when he caught her after she fainted.


End file.
